If you live in Sydney or you have been to Sydney, you probably have visited the Circular Quay (a district famous among tourists and for local residents in the evenings, with numerous pedestrian areas along the coast with shopping centres, parks and restaurants) as well as the Opera House and the Harbour bridge (a Sydney arch bridge connecting the CBD (Central Business District) with the northern area of the city, North Shore) and I’ll probably write more about these common places another time, but have you ever been curious about what's on the other side of this famous and very much photographed bridge? You most probably thought that the neighbourhood on the other side of it is a residential area since you can see houses and apartments from the city side, but trust me there is something else worth visiting here.
This something else is called Luna Park!
Also called the Sydney Amusement Park and formerly known as Luna Park Milsons Point, this is one of those places where kids and adults can both have fun. Many people might think that there are many amusement parks or similar places in a city like Sidney, but it’s not the case, this is the only one. The famous area in Australia for amusement parks is located on the Gold Coast, south of Brisbane.
You will not be disappointed if you go to the Luna Park in Sydney and here are some reasons that I will explain:
- the park has experienced various managements during its history. The Luna Park opened its doors in the ‘30s.
It became infamous in the ‘70s for an unfortunate accident in which one of its attractions, the ghost train, caught fire and destroyed a great part of the amusement park.
It is not known why the carousel was initially called the ghost train, but the whole affair with the name and the accident certainly generated a gruesome story that still causes goose bumps and some people say that the Luna Park has an eerie atmosphere.
But don't worry, the park is now very safe.
The Luna Park, with its iconic clown face entrance (you enter from the mouth of the clown and it’s an excellent photo spot), is now a landmark of Sydney although tour guides do not mention it much. This place is ideal for taking fantastic photos of the bay, the city skyline and the opera house, not to mention its location on the other side of the harbour makes it breezy and very pleasant especially during summer nights.
To get there, there are various options, as I previously said, you could get there by crossing the Harbour Bridge, and then Milsons Point.
Or, you could take the train at Milsons Point station, and then walk about five minutes to reach the amusement park. Otherwise, my preferred means of transport, after crossing the bridge on foot, is the ferry.
It is possible to take a ferry from different parts of the city, for example from Darling Harbour and Circular Quay.
By ferry it is possible to enjoy spectacular views of the harbour.
The park has different areas, so to help you move around the park, these areas have different names like Coney Island, Midway, Big Top, Crystal Palace and Maloney's Corner. Each area has its own specialty, but you can find all sorts of attractions, from merry-go-rounds for young children to scary roller coasters for the bravest ones!
There are rides suitable for everyone and the amusement park offers typical amusement park foods and snacks , such as candy floss and of course, ice creams of various flavours. If you want to sit and order something more sophisticated, there are two cafes, the Coney Island Cafe and the Lighthouse Cafe.
My favourite ride is the Ferris wheel because, at about fifty meters from the ground, you can enjoy an even more amazing view of Sydney, the harbour and its skyline. Don't worry, you won't be dropped like in the Hair Raiser (the tallest roller coaster here) therefore you can pull out your camera and take as many photos as you wish!

PHOTO GALLERY OF LUNA PARK